Freaky Friday

After having much of the week washed out by rain the entrants at Indianapolis made a quick go of it at the start of “Fast Friday” before the rain came back yet again. Scott Dixon was fastest of all in topping the speed chart at nearly 227 mph, but even P23 Sarah Fisher was within a second on the fastest lap speed at over 221 mph. Weather permitting, tomorrow should be a fun Pole Day.

Unfortunately the cars weren’t the only things coming fast as there were three separate incidents. First Alex Lloyd replicated Jamie Camara’s Turn One misadventure from earlier in the week, earning himself a sore neck and a bevy of personal injury attorneys.

Also, Mario Dominguez got wacky when he bounced off the inside wall on a warm-up lap. Not sure what the dilly-o was there.

Worst and most noticeably was a Car vs Pedestrian incident on pit road involving Danica Patrick and Dale Coyne crew member Charles Buckman. There is no video available but reports from Derek Daly of WISH-TV indicate Buckman was walking between pit stalls and was struck by Danica’s "kerr", knocking the apparently helmet-less Buckman to the ground. Reports later said Buckman was rendered unconscious, suffering facial and scalp lacerations as well as a concussion.

Patrick was said to be visibly shaken as she exited her damaged Dallara and was escorted back to the garage. No further details have been released other than to say Buckman is awake and alert in the hands of medical professionals.

Simon Morley, Davey Evans, and now Charles Buckman. It seems as if the only time team members find their names in the news is when something bad happens to them.

UPDATE: Good news - Buckman has recovered enough to say "I really don't remember how it happened. All I remember is I was talking with someone on Marco Andretti's team, and then everything is blank from that point. I will be OK and hopefully back to work in a day or two."

If you want to see it for yourself there is a comment below that provides a link to video of the accident. Gut-wrenching to say the least, because getting hit by any vehicle traveling that fast can be life-threatening. Notice Mario and his nerves of steel, looking completely unflustered at probably the millionth racing incident he's witnessed in his lifetime.